Bruno Giacosa, Barolo, Falletto Vigna Le Rocche 2013

This is incredibly powerful and structured with so much tannin backbone and ripe fruit. Aromas of plums and hazelnuts. Full-bodied and chewy. Fabulous finish. Needs three to four years to come together. Great wine. No Falleto was made in 2013. Only Le Rocche. Available in January 2017.

The recent evolution of this wine is a bit confusing. After the 2009 Barolo le Rocche del Falletto was released, the wine was not made in 2010 or 2011. The following year, we got the 2012 Barolo Falletto that I scored last year. We now return to the series with the 2013 Barolo Falleto Vigna Le Rocche—which is, of course, the white label wine. The wine shows extremely elegant and fine characteristics with a dry and streamlined approach. Fruit tones on offer are delicate and nuanced. White truffle, balsam herb, violet and licorice are folded within. The wine was a little reticent when I tasted it and it definitely needs more time to flesh out in the bottle.

Giacosa's 2013 Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is powerful and intense, with fine overall depth and persistence, but less in the way of finesse. With time in the glass, the 2013 opens up nicely. Even so, the inner sweetness and perfume that is such a Giacosa signature never develops. Moreover, the lack of color and overall freshness suggest the 2013 is a wine to drink over the near and medium term, but not longer. The Barolo Falletto Vigna Le Rocche is the same wine that was previously labeled Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto.